VITEM IV - Study
TEMPORARY VISA IV - STUDY
a) General rules
- It is intended for foreign nationals travelling to Brazil to undertake the following activities: regular courses, internship, study exchange or research exchange.
- Regular courses comprise primary and secondary levels of education; undergraduate and postgraduate degrees (specialisation, master's and doctor's degrees); technical and language courses. Regular courses must be offered by education institutions that hold a Corporate Taxpayer Identification Number (CNPJ).
- Study or research exchanges involve the improvement of academic qualification by sharing knowledge and experiences within the academic environment, such as: participation in "sandwich" and university collaboration programmes, carrying out part of the master's / doctor's research, doing one's compulsory undergraduate/postgraduate study module abroad (commonly called "year abroad", often the third year).
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Internship consists of a supervised educational activity, developed in work environment, which aims to prepare for productive work students who are attending a regular course in a higher education institution.
- Regular courses or study exchanges must have a minimum course load of 15 hours per week. Exceptional and duly justified cases with a weekly course load of less than 15 hours are subject to analysis and may be accepted at the migratory authority's discretion. A minimum course load for research exchanges is not required.
- Foreign nationals traveling to Brazil for post-doctoral research/studies must apply for a VITEM I, not a VITEM IV, as they are classified as researchers, not students.
- For studies or exchanges with duration of up to 90 days, the applicant must request a Visitor Visa (VIVIS), if required.
- Foreign nationals who are already in Brazil can apply for residence permit for the purposes of study/exchange directly with the Federal Police.
- Student visa holders are permitted to undertake paid work, as long as the working hours are compatible with their course load. Details and clarifications must be requested to the Federal Police.
- This type of visa authorises the applicant to study at a specific institution. If the student would like to switch to another institution, the Federal Police must be contacted.
b) Length & extension of stay
Validity period: up to 1 year.
(Limit/expiry date until which the first entry in Brazil must take place – counted from the date of issue of the visa)
Initial period of stay: up to 1 year.
(Initial period during which the individual is allowed to remain in Brazil – counted from the date of first entry in the country – that will be confirmed at the moment of residence registration with the Federal Police)
Residence period: up to 1 year.
(Determined at the moment of residence registration with the Federal Police – indicates the effective period during which the foreigner will be allowed to reside in Brazil)
Extension of stay: the period of residence may be extended until the conclusion of the studies. In case an extension is necessary, the person concerned must contact the Federal Police before the end of the granted residence period.
c) Required documents
Please note: the original documents listed below must be presented during the interview.
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Documentation |
Comments |
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1 |
Applicant's valid passport |
Must have at least two blank pages. Please note that pages reserved for amendments cannot be used for visa purposes. |
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2 |
One standard-sized passport photo |
The photo must be RECENT, with white background. Click here to check if your photo complies with the regulations. |
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3 |
Visa application form |
Must be filled in online (click here). Print and bring the Visa Request Form Receipt (RER) to the appointment. It is very important to fill in the parents' full names, as displayed in the applicant's birth certificate. Please note: the Embassy will only accept applications in which the required documents listed on this table have been uploaded to the form. |
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4 |
Police check (applicants aged over 18 years old) |
Police checks are valid for up to 3 months from the date of issue. Please note: if the applicant has lived in multiple countries within the last 12 months, a police check from each country of residence must be provided. They must also be duly legalised (contain an apostille) by the competent authority in the issuing country and, if necessary, translated by a certified translator. |
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5 |
Copy of the return ticket |
The applicant must submit either a booking confirmation (paid ticket or e-ticket) or a booking reservation (or letter from a travel agent on the applicant's behalf), containing the complete itinerary, flight numbers and arrival / departure dates. |
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6 |
Evidence of financial means compatible with the entire period of stay in Brazil or proof the applicant has been granted a scholarship/bursary |
Recent evidence must be presented (from at least the last 3 months), such as bank and/or credit card statements containing sufficient funds, payslips, proof of student loan/financing. Students being financially supported by their families must submit a declaration signed by the sponsors, in addition to a copy of the identification pages of their passports and recent evidence of financial capacity. |
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7 |
Original letter from the Syrian university |
Applies only to higher education students. The document must attest the student is currently enrolled in higher education. |
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8 |
Letter from the Brazilian education institution to which the student will be linked |
Original letter – the signature on the letter must be certified by a notary public ("tabelião") in Brazil. The signature authentication will not be necessary if the student is going to attend an undergraduate or postgraduate course at a public-funded (Federal or State) university. The document must: a) Be presented on institution letterhead; b) Declare that the applicant is duly enrolled or has been accepted into the intended course; c) Inform the name of the course, duration, period (include activities' start and end dates), and weekly course load (for regular courses and study exchanges, it must be greater than or equal to 15 hours per week); d) Inform that the course has been fully paid (if it is not free of charge) or that the student has been awarded a scholarship / bursary / maintenance grant. e) In the case of regular courses, include the Corporate Taxpayer Identification Number (CNPJ). f) Inform the contact details (full name, telephone number, e-mail) of the person handling the student's admission into the Brazilian education institution. |
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9 |
Travel authorisation (only for applicants under 18 years old) |
Authorisation signed by the parents / legal guardians in case of child or adolescent, as well as the details of the person who will be responsible for the minor in Brazil. |
| 10 | Individual civil record |
Only for citizens registered in Syria. The document must be legalised by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates and translated by sworn translator. |
| 11 | Family civil record |
Only for citizens registered in Syria. The document must be legalised by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates and translated by sworn translator. |
| 12 | Specific documents |
The consular authority may request additional documents depending on the course to be taken in Brazil (graduation, post-graduation, internship, etc). |
*All documents issued in Syria must be legalised by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates and translated by a sworn translator. If issued outside Syria, the documents have to be legalised (get an apostille) by the competent authority in the issuing country or legalised by the Brazilian Embassy/Consulate in such country.
d) Registration with the Federal Police
Holders of this type of visa must register with the Federal Police within 90 days from first entry in Brazil. Contact the Federal Police directly (click here) to learn how to register.
The Embassy anticipates that, among other documents, the applicant will have to present the Visa Application Form (FPV) provided upon issue of the visa, as well as his/her original full birth certificate, containing the parents' full names.
Please note: the birth certificate must be legalised by the competent authority in the issuing country. Documents issued in Syria are legalised by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. After being legalised, the document will have to be translated into Portuguese by a sworn translator ("tradutor juramentado") and legalised by the Embassy.
e) Family reunion
Applicants willing to take their spouse/partner/children/other dependants, please click here to check eligibility. Dependants may be granted a Family Reunion Visa (VITEM XI), bound to the primary VITEM IV application, thus subject to the same conditions (e.g. same length of stay etc.). Family applications may be lodged jointly or after the primary applicant’s VITEM IV has been issued.
If eligible, each applicant must submit the following documents:
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Applicant |
Documentation |
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Spouse |
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Partner |
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Children (son / daughter of any age) |
Items 1, 2, 3, 4 (over 18s only) and 5 listed above. In this case, presenting the birth certificate is mandatory in order to attest the family relationship/level of kinship with the primary applicant. Please note: if the dependant is under 18 years old, both parents / legal guardians must sign the child’s Visa Request Form Receipt (RER) before the consular authority.
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